When Russia and China vote together on UN Resolutions (such as their recent veto of the UN Resolution on Syria), I always think to myself that in the two countries’ collective unconscious they realize that they are going to have...

Demographic facts: 1) China has more men than women. 2) Russian has more women than men. While these two facts are rather straightforward, their impact on society, gender roles, politics, economics and culture are quite complicated. This article chronicles how this 'shortage' of men in Russia has led to an imbalance of power in heterosexual relationships, altering cultural gender norms.

This could be a reason that Russia has been pushing an anti-Homosexual agenda. It certainly is not right, and has been enforced too extremely, but perhaps they feel that there are not enough heterosexual relationships due to the uneven ratio of men and women, and that an increase in the amount of homosexual couples will add to the issue.

When hearing of Russia's imbalance of men vs. women I did not think further into how much this fact could affect not only hetero relationships, but the relationships amongst the sexes themselves as well. Morality is altered in this society where men are so scarce and are "shared" by the women. It is known that Putin, a married man is married and has had a long term affair, and child with another women. The article states "no one really cares." With our fair share of presidential affairs both in the far past and fairly recent, we see how unacceptable society finds such behavior. But would the game change if all of sudden men were so scarce? It is also disheartening that the female population is not united due to the lack of men.

This is a great example of population geography shifting cultural geography. The altering of gender norms in Russia due to the shortage of men shows how all types of geography are intertwined and cultural and population are related deeply. This is a contemporary example of that.

A great article about how huge an impact unequal gender proportions can have on society norms. With Russia's male population outnumbering women 100 to 40 men have a monopoly. This has increased male infidelity, domestic violence against women, and problems with female friendships.

March 26, 2012—In a state-of-the-art submersible, National Geographic explorer-in-residence and filmmaker James Cameron reached the deepest point of the Mariana Trench, breaking a world record for the deepest solo dive.

It is mind boggling how much of our oceans are still to be discovered. Cameron's journey here is one that needs to be taken all over the world. We have more ocean that is unexplored than explored. We may also find some answers to fundamental questions to human existence if we are able to research the deep sea more effectively. It is hard to believe we have been able to research 36,000 feet below and still have more questions than answers.

This is amazing! I love the fact there isalways one person willing to rishk his own life just to gain more knowledge of the world we live in. The Mariana Trench is definteley a scary place and by it being the deepest trench in the world, I can see why not many would consider going down there. I am looking forward to the release of any videos that may come from this expedition he took. - M. Carvajal

When the show South Park has made an entire episode based around you, you've certainly done something extraordinary. James Cameron not only risked his life, but proved a point and set a new standard in underwater exploration. In a way, he literally went to the bottom of the earth, something that has been a mystical feat until now. With technology advancing so quickly and people constantly pushing limits and standards it makes us wonder what will be discovered next.

This is a really cool video, the pressure that exist at the bottom of the ocean has kept humans trapped above a certain depth. Today technology has let us explore areas that have been off limits in the past. Letting an influential filmmaker like Cameron do this is a way to raise awareness about these expeditions to the pop culture obsessed audiences around the world.

An anti-western documentary, allegedly leaked to a South Korean tourist by agents of the North posing as defectors has emerged and been translated to English. And god is it scary just how right they have all of it, down to the letter.

Ryan Amado's insight:

I stumbled upon this last year, it is a North Korean documentary that highlights how our socities in the west use propganda to control it's citizens. While the documentary itself is propaganda used to control the North Korean citizens, and is very exaggerant, it raises some very true questions about our society.

The efforts of the Chinese government to cut corners and save money in every project they do has lead to the high amount of pollution in the countries urbanized cities. They surely do not have the enviornment in mind when drawing up policies, instead only the best interests of their country. Until China cleans up it's factories and uses safer appraoches to construction, this problem will continue. The tourists will continue to take pictures in front of panoramas and will be unable to see the skyline of most of the cities they visit.

Major cities in the world should take a deeper look into controlling pollution problems in their cities. At some point, these places will no longer attract people to live in these areas, thus lowering the impact that these industries may have. But as long as people are still living here by the millions and there is tourism, and buisness is booming, nothing will be done about the issue.

Pollution is a huge issue facing both Hong Kong, and the rest of China in general. So far the government has done little to actually combat the problem. The Chinese governments response has been to pretend that the problem does not really exist. A fake skyline can just erase the problem. In reality dealing with the pollution issue would actually help the Chinese economy. When people seek to go on a vacation, they are seeking a destination that is clean and safe. Who wants to visit a place were, you have to ware a mask to prevent the breathing in of armful chemicals. A cleaner less polluted china would lead to an expanded tourism industry.

In a country this battered, fractured, dysfunctional – how much can she really hope to achieve?

The issue of female education in Pakistan has exploded after Malala Yousafzai was attacked by the Taliban for publicly advocating for girls to receive more schooling. This attack has lead several media outlets to take a more serious look at the gendered cultural and economic opportunities (or lack thereof) for girls within Pakistan. This NPR podcast also speaks of the real options in front of so many girls like Malala and the cultural and political contexts within which they navigate their lives.

Malala surely deserves every accolade she has received from her efforts to improve the education of women in Pakistan. Not only did she stand up to the powers that kept her down, but she continued to do so even after those powers put a bullet in her head. She's an inspiration for all girls not only in Pakistan, but in every place where this is still an issue.

I chose this article because it talks about limit of freedom in LDC's and how girls are not allowed to get an education. This was the main idea of what Half The Sky was. Girls no being given the same rights as boy.

Starting this article response off with a quote seems only appropriate. This article follows Malala Yousafzai through her horrific experience being victimized by the Talaiban. She is an inspiring girl with all the set backs she has had to endure and she wants the right for an education for Women in her country and society. She is determined in order to create a better life for herself and her people. “The peasants had a very difficult situation, but they didn’t give up,” Aroosa says in English. “They fought back, and got power. Girls can fight back and can get an education. A girl can bring a big change.”

It would make sense for the immediate well-being of the girls for the family to just leave Pakistan. As the article mentioned, the economy is horrible for graduates (especially women) and the country lives in a dangerous military state. Yet, the family (excluding the father) continues to stay in Pakistan. I wonder, since their father is a doctor and can afford private schooling, if they stay because of the wealth advantage. As the author alluded to, girls can be more than teachers if they have the resources like Prime Minster Buhtto did. Still though, with the danger so high and better jobs available I really think there is more to the story. The explanation that makes most sense to me came from Mahrukh’s statement regarding Prime Minster Buhtto when she said, “Everyone has to go from this world, why not be famous? Why not make a name and leave your name on people’s lips.” This quote shows just how dedicated Mahrukh is to her country. It is so high that she is willing to die doing something important (provided it makes her famous). In some ways, I find that misguided. I think the attention girls like her and Malala can bring to people who are donating to the politically broken school is of immense value. This attention wakes more people up to the issues of Pakistan and the issues of the Taliban to one day put more pressure on the nation. Yet, I know Malala doesn’t want to continue to raise awareness among the Western world her whole life. Her autobiography ends with her dreaming of returning to Pakistan. Like Mahrukh, she will die for her country too (308-311). A part deep down can see though, that for a revolution to happen the girls need to actually stay within the country. For one, the west can only interfere with the politics of another country for so long. Furthermore, I am still a legitimate believe in sovereignty despite the increasing globalization. By this I mean that it is the countries issue and it is through the pressure and convictions of the people against the government and the Taliban that will have the most impact. I hope that by staying these girls will one day have an immense impact on the social culture in Pakistan.

*Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. First ed. New York: Little, Brown, 2013. 308-311. Print.

What also was very dangerous about this was that Mali became a safe haven for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, because of their Islamic ties to the rebels. If we allow them to control this region, who knows what they could plan. We spent all this time making them run, giving them a new base would undo a lot of work that has been done in the past 12 years.

In April 2012, Islamist rebels seized power in Northern Mali and have declared independence, proclaiming this region The Islamic State of Azawad. Recently they have begun to amass armies on the southern limits of their territory and presumably are seeking to topple all of Mali. The former colonizer, France is being called upon to assist as is the United Nations. This area is part of a region known as the Sahel, the transition from a dry North Africa to tropical Sub-Saharan Africa, from a Muslim/Arab north to a Christian/Animist/Black region of Africa. The human and physical geographic divisions in this region plays a major role in this conflict.

Apparently, a group of very determined Russians made it to the top of the pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, and crowned their achievement by taking these amazing p

Ryan Amado's insight:

This here is a test of one's bravery. These men who illegally climbed the pyramids in Cairo were able to take some breathtaking pictures of one of the worlds most ancient historical landmarks. You can see just how isolated the Egytpian govenment has kept them, as the city lines are far enough away not to engulf the area of the pyramids.

Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani takes to the TEDxSummit stage in Doha, Qatar to take on serious issues in the Middle East -- like how many kisses to give when saying “Hi,” and what not to say on an American airplane.

This comedian sure does his best job at showing that the Middle East is not the chaotic war zone we see on American television every day, and what a better place to do it in than Qatar, a place where he would have a very diverse audience. He made light of each race in the audience, drawing laughs instead of slander. He made jokes about Lebanese, Qataris, Saudis, and Iranians, amongst others. This really broke many of the stereotypes that exist about people of Middle Eastern descent in our society. Instead of seeing them protesting or fighting amongst themselves, we see them enjoying each other’s company just as every race in America does every day.

This video was great to watch. I watched this in class and had to write about it. Humor is a great way to shed light on certain topics that can be really heavy. This comedian is middle eastern himself which makes it better for him to talk about these topics. Many individuals don't know the lighter side to middle eastern people just because all they see is negative aspects of the culture. I enjoyed that he could talk about serious topics and have a room full of people not only laughing at it but being educated at the same time. People don't feel like they're being strictly taught because they're watching a comedian give a show. Being middle eastern myself, i found this video great because raising awareness and allowing more insight about the middle east is a powerful thing when it has always has a negative context.

"I never knew these people laughed." This is perhaps one of the most sad things that could be said. It dehumanizes the middle east in a very cruel way. It implies that people in the middle east do not have any sense of humor and are always serious about everything. Like the United States, there are times to be serious, but there are also times to laugh. The media and even the film industry in the US portrays the middle east as Sodom and Gomorra and the people from the area as misogynistic religious fanatics. It is truly sad that we live in a world where prejudices trump openness and acceptance.

its interesting because this video make the middle east seem more european with the differences in culture. people tend to clump these countries together but they are very different and should be seen that way

It is time Moscow recognized that the world does not approve of this kind of abuse. Not giving homosexuals rights is one thing, brutalizing them is another, and to possibly ruin the sanctity of an event such as the Olympics because of an intolerant regime is beyond asanine. NBC's decision to expose this is bold, but necessary.

These photo's are rather gripping. Many of the images seen here are of objects that have not moved or been touched in 25 years. The entire population of Pripyat had to pack their bags and leave all in an instant. The chaos that must have ensued after the nuclear meltdown must have been haunting. Pripyat will remain like this for years to come, and one can imagine what it will look like in 25 more years.

The pictures are breathtaking. What was once a modern and prosperous area is now completely devestated and basically irreparable for hundreds of years to come. In some of the pictures it is possible to see the haste and desertion of buildings and rooms which gives a sense of fear and panic that the people experienced. There is surely still so much that can be explored, but the radiation limits people and the danger of the area is hard for civilians to be within the boundaries of Chernobyl. Places like this show how drastic the rise and fall of the Soviet Union really was. Similar to mono-towns in Siberia, these areas were set up for people to flourish and become successful, but as history went on and disasters ensued, the great empire came crashing down.

this is a haunting reminder that we must always try to prevent the horrifying failures that result from mismanagement. that this was an event that had impacts as far away as France is often forgotten, and the thoughts of what may happen if something larger happens is even more horrifying.

The twists and turns of the EU are starting to leave our European vaping cousins not only enraged, but also stupefied and incredulous at what is being proposed.

It appears that the Commission – one of the legislative arms of the EU, not only want to ban electronic cigarettes, they also want to make sure nobody can talk about them either.

There are basically three legislative arms to the EU Parliament –1) The Commission; they oversee law. 2) The elected Members of Parliament (MEPs), and 3) The Council, that is made up from Ministers from the 28 EU countries. Countries take turns in presiding over the EU, rotating every 6 months.

Legislation on E-cigs has come later than it should have. Many people are being misinformed about these products. They are sold as safe replacements for normal cigerettes. However, if one smokes them as often as they smoke in a day (say, the amount of hits a pack of cigarettes takes), they are inhaling dangerous amounts of nicotine. Something needs to be done about this dire health risk.

This is sad news for an area that is trying to persuede the world it deserves to be independent. Unfortunately, they still have to rely on the Spanish government to help their economy, something that does not help their case. While other countries do take money from other powers, one that is trying to establish itself might want to have a more optimistic outlook on it's economy before it tries to go off on it's own.

This area seems to want it both ways. To be independent from Spain, but also dependent economically on Spain. This region should sort out its priorities and decided if independents is worth it and if so then they should not be asking Spain for help. It’s like a twenty-something person that moves out of their parents’ house and then comes back again and again with their hand out. Catalonia seems to be facing this same issue.

Catalonia, an independent region wants Spain to give them 9 billion euros in order to help them stay out of debt, but also want to keep themselves independent of Spain. The most interesting aspect of this article is how the region of Catalonia wants to be independent, but still seek help from the very place it wants to be independent from.

"Europe and Asia, while often considered two separate continents, both lie on the same landmass or tectonic plate, the Eurasian supercontinent. The historic and geographic story of the Eurasian boundary is intriguing."

Here we can see that the continental boundary between Russia and the rest of Europe has historically been solely based on national borders. However, a large majority of Russia's population and major cities are in the western part of the country, which is closer to Europe than most Asian countries. Because of this, Europe and Asia gained an imaginary cultural border. It only makes sense that part of Russia began to be considered a European region even though it physically is a part of Asia. It is better to talk about the entire land mass of Eurasia rather than two split continents when talking about Russia's borders.

If Europe and Asia are not different continents based on the tectonic plates that they both share, would that mean that Russia is in a fact a part of Europe. Wouldn't its ties be closely link to that of Asia, because growing up in school, I was taught that Russia was closely related to the Asian continent than it was to Europe. Though Russia is sometimes perceived as being its own continent, I wonder what this discovery will mean for them long term.

The article states that the idea of separate continents comes from European scholars whom wanted to give more definition to there culture and area of the world, essentially there region. I wonder if this could be said in regards to the inhabitant East of the Ural Mountains. Did they want a form of boundary to represent and distinguish there region? None the less, we live in the west so the western perspective is what guides us.

Even if there never was a Europe and an Asia, there would still be land disputes as to whom has claim to which region/area of land. On a global perspective its viewed as Europe and Asia but when one takes a closer look its simply country and country... not continent and continent. This article is revealing the importance of Eurasia, how it truly does exist. A quasi boundary is not going to separate the once "two continents" rather nothing separates the continents, its all part of Eurasia.

A neat part of the article is how the writer states recognizing the land mass as two continents is old and out of date. Its basically wrong and non-intelligent. I believe this is important and is something that needs to be recognized on a national scale (here in the United States). Personally I've always recognized the realm as "Eurasia." I now feel more intelligent for doing so! How do people in Europe and with this being said Asia, feel about this more reformed definition of the supercontinent? Do they even recognize it as true? Perhaps they realize there are more important issues at hand like current countries disputed and invaded borders.

None the less there is disputed boundaries on a more micro level, when compared to the continent versus continent scheme. For example Russian backed separatists have claimed a portion of Eastern Ukraine. Do people actually see this as Asians expanding into Europe or rather a transcontinental country (Russia) expanding itself more westward. The importance here lies in the disputed country boundaries, not continental boundaries, yet one cannot not deny the significance of the "continental boundary" which some people do believe in. But the core of the matter is the country to country ratio.

This was interesting to read because I don't associate the two till I can visually see it. Then to further call it Eurasia makes sense as well. There is a population that are considered Asian Russians. I did a study on this culture and I couldn't believe there were Asian Russians. This sounds crazy. It would make sense for cross cultures in this region.

Amsterdam, eat your heart out. This South American country has big plans for marijuana fans.

The distribution of narcotics impacts virtually every country in the world; there are incredibly divergent strategies on how to mitigate these problems that are a result of sophisticated distribution networks. What is the best way to stop the flow of dangerous drugs and the illegal activities that accompany the drug trade? If you were in charge, what strategies would you recommend?

Uruguay is definitely taking steps in the right direction here. Instead of leaving drugs in the hands of street dealers and cartels, they are putting them in regulated establishments. One could argue this is only going to promote drug use, but it will do the exact opposite. Marijuana is proven to be safer than alcohol, and is wildly popular. Uruaguay will soon see a decline, in crime, hard drug use, and an increase in social capital and most likey appetite.

This was an interesting article, a bit outdated, yet still informative. I personally know nothing about the legalization of drugs, specifically Marijuana, in any foreign country.

It certainly comes off as is the Uruguayan government is trying to monopolize the growing and sale of Marijuana. From a government perspective they would be able to handle the sales of pot and use the profit for state needs... I am assuming state needs. The article stated the revenue would be roughly $75 million, thats a good amount of money to throw around in regards to infrastructure and other further investments. In time the government would allow for private organizations to grow Cannabis but would have to sell it over to the government to be legally distributed. Not only would the government be setting the price for the buying of bulk from the producers but they would also be reaping all the benefits from sales. Also, the growers of Marijuana would be taxed... The government is winning either way.

An issue with this plan is the fact that the government is a direct beneficiary of the profits obtained from the drug. It is clear that the government wins. Who else wins? Stoners? I suppose it is good that they wont be busted for smoking anymore... I hope there is a good amount of money from this revenue going back into the state. I'm sure jobs will be created to keep up with the Marijuana sales. What will happen to the people already selling Marijuana? They can't sell it anymore if the government is only allowed to. Perhaps this could create an issue?

I understand the purpose of this project/plan. I believe it needs more structure and perhaps a more descriptive outcome, not just the government reaping the profits and not saying where they will spend the money.

Uruguay was one of the safest nations in the Latin America until an outbreak of hard drugs, with violence following it. in order to combat this outbreak Uruguay wants to legalize the "soft core" drug of marijuana. the government thinks this should reduce the consumption of Crak-cocaine and other forms of the coco leaf. this is following he current trend in the America's. this would not legalize the growing or selling of marijuana, it would make it state mandated and taxed while the possession of small amounts is legal.

i think that this will be great, with easy access to the drug it will take the exhilaration out of doing drugs. i do think this will ease people off of harder drugs to the accessible drug of marijuana. although people who use crak will not be changed immediately and satisfied with pot, it will help the whole economy from trying crak- cocaine.

As harder drugs become more popular the stigma attached to marijuana is less severe. Uruguay is looking to sell marijuana to legal adults, the dealer would be the state, their goal in doing this is to cut down on the harder drugs. The article talks about how marijuana is becoming more socially acceptable all over the world, but specifically in America and how the decriminalization in America is influencing Uruguay. The article also talks about how harder drugs are causing more and more deaths, especially in the "journey" to America, if Uruguay legalizes marijuana it hopes that it causes a reduction in use of hard drugs. The government plans to use the tax money from the sales to rehabilitate drug addicts.

Not too long ago (Jan. 2012), the arbitrary International Date Line (roughly opposite the Prime Meridian) was moved to better accommodate the regional networks and economic geography of the area straddling the line. American Samoa, although politically aligned with the United States, was functionally more integrated on the Asian side of the Pacific Rim when it came to their trade partners and their tourism base. Dynamic economic networks, political allegiances and cultural commonalities create a beautifully complex situation near this 'border.'

This line clearly needs to be redrawn. It just does not make sense that it could be monday in one area and tuesday 50 miles directly south of it. While the new dateline does not necessarily have to be perfectly straight, it should at least not go directly horizontal as it does now. Whoever lies on the line must deal with whatever place they have been placed in, and not complain.

Makes you think about the political and economic influences on just about anything. What time or day it is is an important element to a global economy. Know when business deals can be made in an instance knowing what standards are most efficient can alter systems of dating. That is why instead of having a straight line the line is jutting out in spots. Usually we think of our time zones being dependent on where the sun in relation to our location but in this instance we see that it is merely a man made line that can be altered.

This is to me the coolest geographic location in the World... A group of islands nation located in both the south and north hemispheres and also to both the east and west of the international time line zone.

500 birthdays were taken away due to an international date line. In Samoa is in a confused state between the united states and the Asian pacific side of the timeline which would cause time and dates to be confusing.Dynamic economic networks and political allegiances have created a very difficult situation for the people near the border in Samoa. The International Date line in Samoa is something that is needed to be watched and paid attention because it can affect people in ways that can be very significant even at a small tiny rate.

Kim Jung-Un's reckless actions and threats that were the highlights of the beginning of his regime was nothing more than a frivoulous attempt at displaying his power. He wanted the world to see his legitimacy as a leader, whether or not it was known he is the leader of a cult of personality. He wanted us to take him seriously, and in a way we did, as these threats were the talk among the nation for a bit.

yea knesel. Weird huh? Well the armisist treaty involves the US so, lets be honest, nothing is going to happen there because all this is is little Kim Jong Un in his big boy britches, they're just empty threats. So why waste the nuke? it will just be devistating and tragic for the whole world, you can't just wipe out an entire population like that. It's not human.

The situation in North Korea is becoming increasingly troubling. Kim Jon Un has proven himself to be an unstable actor on the world stage. By all reports, it seems that the young leader is crazy. In this case, this nut case has a nuclear arsenal to play with. An attack on South Korea would trigger an automatic response from the U.S. The Korean war could literally resume in a matter of minutes. Negotiating with the North Korean regime is futile at best. How can you negotiate with a nation that refuses to honor any type of international agreement? North Korea survives, because China allows it to. If the North Korean threat is ever eliminated, it will be China, not the United States that eliminates it.

Since the ceasefire was declared in 1953, tensions have always ran high between the democratic South and the communist North of the Korean peninsula. Petty threats are the norm, with either side threatening to destroy the other should they continue to escalate tensions, occasionally made worse by the stray shot that makes its way across the border. North Korea has been the more aggressive of the two, using threats of violence to force the West to provide its starving masses with foreign aid. Any hopes that new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be less extreme than his father have since been extinguished, as Un has further ruined relations between his government and his southern neighbors. Both China and the US have condemned the North's actions, with China hoping its smaller ally will cease its irrational foreign policy as the Chinese attempt to cement their place as a global power. There has been over 60 years of relative peace between the two countries, with most Koreans today having never seen the conflict itself, and it is hoped that this peace will continue. However, for as long as Un and his communist party maintain their vice-like grip on their nation's peoples, the threat of violence- and the violation of human rights within their own borders- will continue.

McDonald's plans to open the first in a series of all-vegetarian restaurants in India next year. But rest assured, in most locations around the world, meat will stay on the menu.

Many of the most successful global companies or brands use highly regional variations that are attuned to local cultural norms and customs. The McAloo Tikki burger— which uses a spicy, fried potato-based patty — is the Indian McDonald's top seller.

Questions to ponder: What are the forces that lead towards an accelaration of human connectivity around the globe? What are the postive impacts of this increased connectivity? What are some negative impacts? Are these impacts the same in all places? Explain.

This is only one change McDonalds has had to make in order to have a sustainable market in India. They obviously have not sold beef or pork pattied burgers at a high rate. If they want to keep business booming in India than they need to keep showing the Indian people that they can innovate and provide the best service they can while also respecting the customs of their society.

When you typically think of a McDonald's, vegetarian is not what comes to mind. India plans on opening it's first vegetarian McDonald's since the majority of the population just simply does not even eat meat. There are already 271 of this restaurant in India already but they are looking for a new growth. Many Hindu's and Muslims don't eat pork, or cows because it is sacred to them. More chicken and vegetables will be served at this new restaurant and the older restaurants menus are 50% vegetarian. This is interesting to see because you do not think of fast food places being healthy at all. I think this is a great idea having different option for individuals who don't eat certain things. This is definitely going to be an attraction for not just people living in India but for tourists as well. It'll be a fun story to tell to say that you went to an all vegetarian McDonald's!

It is often said that food is one of the best identifiers of a culture. What better way to define America than McDonalds, right? However, fueled by globalization, McDonalds has moved to several different countries around the world, including India. For religious reasons, the traditional American menu wouldn't fit well in the Indian diet, as most hindu people wouldn't jump at the chance to eat a quarter pound of greasy cow. Globalization and a desire for economic profit has fueled a change in the McDonalds menu in India as well as other countries. In order to succeed in the global market, a comp any must be willing to change to appeal to a more diverse client base.

McDonald's going vegetarian, would be a unimaginable concept in the United States. The United States like most western nations, is addicted to meat. The United States prefers hamburgers over salads. Our culture has been raised on that addiction. India is a far more vegetarian society. Twenty to forty two percent of the population of India classifies themselves as vegetarians. While not a majority, they are a sizeable minority within India. McDonalds is adapting its menu to fit with the culture of its consumers. For the Indian business model, this move makes sense. McDonalds presence in India speaks to increased global connectivity. The forces of globalization have brought the world closer together. There are few isolated areas of the world left to ponder. We are now living in an age of connectivity. Almost every major business is now located across the glove. The positive impacts of this trend are that we as westerners are exposed to diverse cultures and influences. The negative impacts are there are few unexplored regions of the world still remaining. The frontiers have all but disappeared.

This is a crisis that needs more attention paid to it. The CAR has been a highly unstable country for the marjority of the past two years and is now on the brink of genocide. Many of it's citizens have been displaced, and human rights violations increase as the days go by. This conflict needs a resolution before it goes too far.

Unfortunately, these actions seem to be the one of a man who is trying desperately to hold on to his power. It is known that there was a power struggle between him and members of his government. It is the last thing this young country needs when it is trying to establish itself. Hopefully this move does not lead to the very thing South Sudanians were trying to get away from.

Here is a living example of how hard it is to start a new country. Imagine what our founding fathers int he US was doing back in 1783 when they were trying something new, with not much to look to in the past as an example. Even with all the history since then, and all the examples of how to for a working governemt, startnig a new country in the area of the world that was once controlled by imperialists and warlords is not going to be an easy task by no stretch of the imagination. We can only hope for the best for these people.

It is very difficult for a country this young to be politically and economically stable. The president must have a difficult time earning the peoples respect when the country is struggling. Removing the vice president only upset some locals as they felt he showed signs of a dictator.

He wants to get rid of the entire political cabinet. Who does he think he is, Superman? There is no way this president can take on a whole nation by himself. He needs to reconsider his actions and think about South Sudan and its needs.

The death of 190,000 people due to war is always a tragedy. There is a positive side to this number, however. The Iraq war cost 190,00 lives in ten years, an average of 19,000 deaths a year. In World War II, the Russians alone lost 9,000,000 people, in a much shorter amount of time. We are no longer losing large chunks of our population in wars, due to new technology and combat strategies.

The effects of war can be staggering and far-reaching. Often the costs are much higher than anticipated at the beginning. Read this press release for more details on the recent findings regarding the actual costs of the Iraq War, which are estimated to have cost over 190,000 lives and $2.2 trillion.

"Afghan youth have very limited options for sports and recreation. An Australian man is trying to change that." Issues of ethnicity, class and gender are right on the surface. Globalization, cultural values and shifting norms make this a good discussion piece.

In an unstable region such as this one, it is very encouraging to see the young people of Afghanistan particpating in an actvity thats radical in it's own way. Not only does skateboarding add to the short list of recreational activities for these kids, but one with just the right amount of skill could possibly do something substantial with their skills. It creates an opportunity for them in a way. Hopefully the "Skateistan" movement continues to spread across the country.

This is a good example of the use of soft power in areas where American culture is not popular. Instead of using military force to exert western Ideals on the people of Afghanistan. This Australian may have found a way to close the gap towards bringing our cultures closer together.

In a society that is seen by most of the world as strict and rigid, it was interesting to see these children having fun and breaking the mold of traditional afghan kids. What makes this even more fascinating is that female children are doing some of the skating. With gender issues a hot topic in some Middle Eastern countries, letting kids have fun before being made to conform to tradition is a nice experience for them. While they still respect the culture to they belong to, it is a break from that and a breathe of fresh air for them. These youth are not seen primarily as men and woman, but as children.

Who could have imagined, that Skateboards could be used as a geopolitical tool? Over a decade ago, the United States invaded Afghanistan with the aim of rooting out and destroying the terrorist who attacked the nation on 911. As with most of our military campaigns in the Middle East, the mission quickly became bogged down in a nation building campaign. The people of Afghanistan have long been wary of foreign influence. Empire after empire has attempted to conquer this nation, only to suffer humiliating defeats. For any chance at sustained success, the United States must win over the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. This skateboard program is a perfect tool in accomplishing that objective. The parks bring all types of youths together in the spirit of fun. They are a unifying factor amongst the youth in Afghanistan.

When Russia and China vote together on UN Resolutions (such as their recent veto of the UN Resolution on Syria), I always think to myself that in the two countries’ collective unconscious they realize that they are going to have...

Demographic facts: 1) China has more men than women. 2) Russian has more women than men. While these two facts are rather straightforward, their impact on society, gender roles, politics, economics and culture are quite complicated. This article chronicles how this 'shortage' of men in Russia has led to an imbalance of power in heterosexual relationships, altering cultural gender norms.

This could be a reason that Russia has been pushing an anti-Homosexual agenda. It certainly is not right, and has been enforced too extremely, but perhaps they feel that there are not enough heterosexual relationships due to the uneven ratio of men and women, and that an increase in the amount of homosexual couples will add to the issue.

When hearing of Russia's imbalance of men vs. women I did not think further into how much this fact could affect not only hetero relationships, but the relationships amongst the sexes themselves as well. Morality is altered in this society where men are so scarce and are "shared" by the women. It is known that Putin, a married man is married and has had a long term affair, and child with another women. The article states "no one really cares." With our fair share of presidential affairs both in the far past and fairly recent, we see how unacceptable society finds such behavior. But would the game change if all of sudden men were so scarce? It is also disheartening that the female population is not united due to the lack of men.

This is a great example of population geography shifting cultural geography. The altering of gender norms in Russia due to the shortage of men shows how all types of geography are intertwined and cultural and population are related deeply. This is a contemporary example of that.

A great article about how huge an impact unequal gender proportions can have on society norms. With Russia's male population outnumbering women 100 to 40 men have a monopoly. This has increased male infidelity, domestic violence against women, and problems with female friendships.

"An earlier GeoCurrents post on Chechnya mentioned that the Chechens were deported from their homeland in the North Caucasus to Central Asia in February 1944. However, the Chechen nation was not the only one to suffer such a fate under Stalin’s regime."

Stalin probably did not have the outlook of his country's geography in mind when he deported all of these people. It goes to show that ruthless dictatorships are never the way to go, as impulsive decisions and tyranny can have consequences for the long term.

The Soviet Union forced vast amounts of people and ethnic groups out of their historical homelands to settle new areas during the early and mid 20th century. Many of those forced into resettlement died, and today some consider it a genocide or crime against humanity. As ethnic groups were moved out, ethnic Russians were moved in to take their places, and explains why many places outside of Russia (Ukraine) have populations that still maintain strong Russian identities. It also explains why places like Chechnya have such a long history of insurgency and extremism against Russian authority and power.

This graph represents the areas where many of the Chechnes had been displaced to in the era of Stalins regime. Many of these people were displaced from their homes and forced to move. Many of them either had to leave family behind of they were forced to move together and had no initial home to live in.

i see this as history retelling itself. for some reason throughout history terrible men think that their race is better than another, this is not true and if a person wants to think this that is their prerogative, but some men think it to such an extent that they seek to eliminate the entire other people. nothing good can come of this and it turns into mass conflict every time. it destroys countries and breeds hate on all sides.

It was called the Blitz for a reason. For months, nobody in London was safe. As seen on the map, nearly every inch of London was affected by Nazi bombs. Not only were there bombs falling, but also planes and other war machines involved. The modern version of London is surely a rebuilt version of its 1940's counterpart.

This map shows the locations for the nearly 2000 bombs which were dropped on London during the Blitz in WWII. The bombs were dropped entirely inside the ring of M25 London Orbital Motorway which encircles London. The bombs are most concentrated in the center of the ring, likely to do the most damage, to either infrastructure or the people.

This map shows just how devastating the bombs were on London. At first glance, this does not look like a map of the bombs dropped. It would not be until it was labeled as such would it show the results of the war on London. Very few areas were unaffected and the majority of London was hit.

"Germany and France spent decades at each others' throats. Now, bound by a common currency, they're working together to save the euro zone. It's a story that's begging for a musical number — which, as it happens, we have right here."

This song does every bit of telling the truth while still being humorous in nature. It is only fitting that there is some comedy here, because there is some irony in what the EU was supposed to become and what it has turned into since it's installment.

Yet, they are both singing in the English man language, like wanted to be heard by glorious England. The European Union is strong, but at the same time fragile. It feel it can break by any politic different.

Looking at European history as a whole this recent unity between nations, especially Germany and France is an incredibly new and unusual concept. For centuries European countries have been at one another's throats only in the late 20th century has this changed. While this idea of a musical is humors it shows that because of globalization and economics these nations have bounded together and now are heavily reliant upon one another.

Its humorous how after years of being in conflict with one another, this song manages to highlight the ways in which France and Germany, along with other European countries have manged to over their differences. Along in this song highlights the things in which these countries are known for demonstrates the pure genius in all of this.

This certainly raises some new questions about exactly how long humanity has existed. This is not the only place where hunting materials this old are being discovered, however. Here, were dealing with 30,000 year old objects. Elsewhere, they are finding ancient spears that may be 280,000 years old. Discoveries like these are vital, as they are helping us answer the fundamental questions about humanity we have been trying to answer for thousands of years.

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